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Roberto Martinez has lauded Everton chairman Bill Kenwright after he turned down a “very big deal” for John Stones.

Chelsea had three bids for the 21-year-old rejected this summer and a fourth bid, in the region of £37m, was muted earlier this week.

Stones tried to force through a move to the Premier League champions by handing in a transfer request on Tuesday but Everton denied the defender’s plea.

On Thursday evening, Kenwright issued short statement insisting that Stones was not for sale and Martinez has revealed the Blues’ owner dismissed offers from Chelsea that others would have not been able.

“If I am an Everton fan seeing that statement then I know my club mean business and that we want to work hard to get a winning team to keep the best performers and that once more shows, in the limelight, what our chairman is all about,” Martinez said.

Roberto Martinez and Bill Kenwright chat before a game

“You don’t get many chairmen who would do that, who would look away from, financially, a very big deal.

“But certain values in football and in life are very important and we consider these paramount at Everton and it shows what our chairman has been over the years and has never got the credit he deserves.”

Martinez says now that a line has been drawn under the transfer saga, Everton need to offer the player some stability.

“As a football club we are the perfect environment for John to give him a bit of normality and make sure we help him. ,” the Blues boss added.

“It is a very tough position to be in.

“You can imagine the amount of influence and pressure he was under.

“John is a phenomenal footballer but he is an even stronger human being.

“We have one of the best centre-halves in European football developing and he is an Evertonian, an Everton player and that is all that matters.

Roberto Martinez speaks to John Stones during the Asia Trophy

“There are always ways of dealing with things. There are certain values in life and football that are very, very important and must always be maintained and I don’t think it is good for any young generation to given the impression that money can give you everything and that nothing else matters.

“At Everton, throughout the history of our phenomenal football club, we had be very proud of those principles and we are not going to allow that to change.”

Martinez went onto say: “Selling one of our biggest assets at this stage of the window wouldn’t allow us to make the squad stronger, if anything, it would be very rushed and could affect the whole season ahead.

“There are times to do it, there are ways to do it and John still has a lot to achieve with Everton and we are delighted that we have one of the most impressive young talents with us, and we will never take that for granted.”